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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
the enclosed form and to return it to this office | only possible but absolutely necessary that the at an early date. Yours faithfully,
EDWARD A. IRVING,
Inspector of Schoola.
The forms to be filled in may be had on application.
HONGKONG CHURCH MISSION- ARY ASSOCIATION.
ANNUAL MEETING,
The annual meeting of the Church Missionary Association was held on the 2nd inst. in 8. Paul's College. There was a large attendance. His Honour Sir William M. Goodman, Chief Justice, presided.
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[January 12, 1903.
Chaplain gave an encouraging statement us to the Legislature should pass an Ordinance to pro-work of the Church and Mission during the year vide for the incorporation of the Church Body 1902. The number of sailors who had attended at of the Chinese Anglican Church in Hongkong. S. Peter's Church chowed a substantial increase If they had a Chinese Anglican Church in on the figures of the previous year: also the Hongkong which required an Ordinance for number of seamen communicants, and the the incorporation of its Church Body, he amount of the offertories taken at the Clu^ch. thought it was a wonderful piece of progress, The weekly concertsand temperant e mëstings bad a thing they ought to be thankful for, and a been kept up regularly, and hearty thanks were thing from which they might expect much in accorded to the many friends who had: assisted the future. (Applause.) The Chairman then at these to make the sailors' visits to Hongkong introduced Rev. H. J. Barnett to the meeting as bright as possible. The attendance at the Rev. Mr. BABAETT gave an address on " Mis- weekly Bible classes showed an-aggregate in. sionary Work among the Chinese in Australia." crease of 200 over the previous year. The work The Chinese in Australis, he said was under of the mis-ion launch Dayspring was-again two limitations; he must not play fan-tan and found to be invaluable as by means of ber the must not work long hours. The Chinese chaplains were enabled to pay some 2.700 visits community was divided into two principal to ships during the year. The_c>mmittee classes: cabinet-makers in the cities accorded th ir best thanks to the Dock - Com- gardeners in the country. In the cities the pany who had thoroughly overhauled the launob, Chinese necessarily lived in the lowest quarters. to the Hongkong Steam Water-tont Co., who That was one of the difficalties the missionary had kindy supplied her with water; and to the had to face. Of difficulties there were various various Companies and individuals who had so kinds. Another was that the Chinese only generously supplied her with coul‹. Thanks werə remained in Australia long enough to get a also given to Mr. H. Sykes, the Hon. Organist, competency, whereupon he returned to Chins and and to ar. A. Sheffield, Hon. Choirmaster, for the missions lost touch with him. In Melbourne | their services during the year. four missions and four schools were working. There was a lack of Europeans to direct the work. It would be a good thing too if Chinese returning to Chins were kept sight of and not allowed to lapse into heathenism. Mr. Barnett after giving au interesting account of how the work was carried out, concluded by fexpressing the hope that it would be persevered in and would be blessed,
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The SECRETARY (Rev. F. T. Johnson) stated that the Association during the past year had had a peaceable time. There had been no committee meetings and no grant had been made. All the same he wished to strongly emphasise the fact that very good work had been going on all the time in the different departments. To Lady *Goodman, Mies Goodman and Miss Alderson for | their work in connection with their respective departments and to Major Benson for his services as treasurer they owed most hearty thanks. The brunt of the work, however, had fallen upon the éditorial department, and they had to thank Rev. Mr. Bunbury, the editorial secretary for the extreme regularity with which the monthly magazine had appeared and also for his persuasive eloquence in inducing so many very hard-worked missionaries to spare the time to write accounts of their interesting work for the magazine. The financial state of affairs was that they had about $187 in hand. They ought soon to be able to make one or two grants. (Applause.) In conclusion Mr. John in Japau," of which he gave a racy, instruct- son moved that the following committee beive account. With reference to the desire
appointed for the ensuing year:Mrs. Banister, Mrs. France, Lady Goodman, Mr. Hoare, Mrs. Hipwell, Miss Jolinstone, Miss Hamper, Miss Anderson, Miss Goodmau, Major Benson, Sir William Goodman, Messrs. J. M. Beck, A. Bryer, W. E. Hipwell and G. Piercy; Bishop of Victoria president, and all clergymen who join the Association ex officio members,
The Ven. Archdeacon W. BANISTEL second ed, and the motion was agreed to.
The CHAIRMAN, in his presidential remarks, stated that when he was asked to take the chair at that meeting he had a little diffidence in consenting, because he would be there knowing so little of the Association's work among those who knew so much, and whose knowledge was 80 much more personal and practical than his. But he reflected that he would not have been asked if he had not been wanted. There might be differences of opinion perhaps as to the times and places in China selected for missionary work and as to the qualifica tions and previous training of those who were sent out to do misson work there, but he thought there could be no diff rence of opinion among those who really believed in Christianity that mission work was just as necessary now as it was in the days, he might say, of 8. Paul. It was absolutely essential for a living Church to have missionary enterprise. We could not all be missionaries, but we could all admire the self-denial and in some cases, he did not scruple to say, heroism of those who devoted the whole of their lives and energy to the propagation of Christianity among nations who did not know that religion; sent sometimes, too, to place where the soil must be remarkably barren and where men must have something beyond human support to bear the disappoint ment of the want of a harvest due to the barrenness of the soil, even if they lived till the -harvest-time. He had heard it asked repeatedly in 'society-" What is there to show for all the work; what is there to show in China, for instance, for the enormous amount of money and work and the valuable lives both of missionaries and converts that have been spent?" He believed there was a great deal more to show than most people fancied. He had been surprised to learn from the Bishop what had been done in Fokhien. Yet China was a country of such vast antiquity | its customs, modes of thought were of antiquity that missions must be but as things of yesterday. He had been asked the other day what there was to show for work in Hongkong and he had referred his querist to Ordinance 18 of 1902, for it had struck him as a wonderful thing, the last year it was not
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Rev. J. DATHAN of H.M.S. Goliath afterwards spoke Missionary Work
" ou
of the Japanese to have a Japanese Bishop,
оде were
men in
or two be said there the Church who would make excellent Bishops but there was little chance of a succession of Bishops; so that be thought the Japanese were going a little too far ahead and that it would be better if they strengthened the lower orders of the ministry first, and then when there was a chance of a succession of good able men for the Bishoprio they could take that in hand. Of the work among the student class he also spoke. One practical difficulty, he men- tioned, there was, and that was the paying of the native pastors. The scale was fixed some time ago and owing to the increased cost of everything it was almost impossible for the pastors and catechists to live on their salaries; so that the Church would have to take some means to provide more liberally for its workers. In the mission work in Japan, he said in conclusion, there was good life, good growth, a good deal of energy, and, what most people would not believe, a good deal of very level-headed com monsense:
On the motion of the CHAIRMAN, & cordial vote of thanks was awarded to the rev. gentlemen for their addresses.
A similar compliment was accorded Sir William Goodman for presiding, on the motion of Rev. F. T. JOHNSON, seconded by Mr. E. H. SHARP.
The meeting ended with the benediction.
MISSIONS TO SEAMEN, HONGKONG.
The annual meeting of the above_society was held in the Sailors' Institute, Kowloon, on the evening of the 30th ult. The meeting was preceded by a tea to which scme 220 people sat down. The great majority of these were sailors from both the merchant service and the Royal Nary. The room was subsequently crowded to its utmost capacity by friends and supporters of the work. Archdeacon Banister occupied the chair. In the course of the evening a number of carols were sung by the boys of the Church Choir (dressed in sailors costume) with the kind assistance of many outside friends. Amongst those who were present were the Revs. F. T. Johnson, Colonial Chaplain; E. H. Good, R N.; R. M. Beatty, H.M.B. Cressy; Dathan, H.M.8. Goliath, G. Bunbury, C.M.S.; W. J. Southam, besides the two Chaplains of the Mission, Rev. J. H. France, ad Rev. T. Wright. Mrs. Brewett very kindly sang solos, which were much appreciated by the audience as were also the items | rendered by Mr. C. H. P. Hay. The Senior
During the evening short addresses were giren by Rw. E. H. Good and W. J. Southam, as well as by the Chairman, and an exceedingly bearty and enthusiastis meeting terminated with the Doxology.
CANTON.
[FROM A CORRESPONDI NT.]
Canton, 31st December, 1902.
A CURIOUS FIGHT. During the last few nights the sound of
distant fring has been heard in the city emanating from a district some six or a ven miles away, where two villages have quarrell d over an intermediate water-supply. Thy employ both rifles aud cannon, but reports say that few lives are lost, which is the less surprising because the comb.tants leep, smoke or till their fields in day time, and ooly fight during the night. There is not, as was firat supposed, any connection between this firing and the evergreen rebellion further up the river.
ON THE HONGKONG MODEL.
The Kwang Chau Prefect is attempting to form a scheme for organising the local police on the same system as that employed in Hong- kong, but at present financial difficulties stand in the way.
A NATIVE RUMOUR.
There is a much-believed rumour in Canton that an edict will shortly be issued commanding all the people to adopt foreign dress upon the first day of the Chinese New Year.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Canton, 3rd January.
THE NEW TË 2.
New Year's Day passed off very quietly in Shameen; some of the residents going out rid- ing, and others picnicking in steam-launches and flower-boats.
▲ GRAND WEDDING.
On the 29th ult. a grand marriage took place in Canton between the daughter of Chow Tung- sang, a millionaire, and a young man of the name of Cheong, also of rich family, There were large banquets and a theatrical perform- anos in the house of Chow Tung-sang, to which, among a large number of guests, the Consuls and oficiala, foreign and Chinese, were invited.
KWANGSI.
In view of the serious disturbances in Kwangai, the Provincial Governor Wang Chi-chon sent a telegram to the Acting Viceroy Tak Sow at Can- ton. requesting His Excellency to send either the Black Flag General Liu Yung-fu or General Fung Tas-chai. Thereupon the Viceroy con sulted with Lin Yung-fu and asked him to take the five battalions (each - consisting of 600 soldiers) under his command to Kwangsi to serve under the Provincial Governor. Liu Yung-fu did not fall in with such a proposal ; he said that the Hunan troops could never agree with the Cantonese, and it would be bad policy to put them under the control of Wang Chi-chon. In any emergency; they would be useless. To sweep the rebels away it would be
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